The invention is directed to an arrangement for detachably fastening modules to a module carrier.
Modular construction is a method that is wide-spread in technology for constructing mechanical and non-mechanical systems. Compared to compact construction, modular construction is considered more advantageous on one essential point. This is the case when the system to be constructed contains system elements that are to be classified as wear parts and must therefore be replaced with relative frequency. The replacement of only individual wear parts, is compared to the replacement of the entire system, results in the compact construction, despite lower manufacturing costs, being nonetheless ultimately less economical than the modular construction of the system.
Representative of the broad application spectrum of such systems, a typical example from non-mechanical printer technology is recited below. Optical character generators are the crux of such printer equipment that, for example, function according to the principle of electrophotography. The job of these optical character generators is to convert the printing information present in the form of electronic data into an optical image. A photoconductive layer, for example on a photoconductive drum, is subsequently exposed with this optical image. The exposed image is subsequently developed in a known way and, for example, transferred onto paper.
Over and above this, optical character generators that are constructed in line fashion and therefore operate without mechanical motion are advantageous. In this type of character generating, a separate light source must be present for every point that is to be imaged within a line. The number of these light sources within an illumination line of optical character generators is dependent to the greatest possible degree on what kind of printing screen is used for the conversion of the information to be printed. Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are preferably employed as light sources in the optical character generators. Like all other light sources, these have the disadvantageous property that their useful life is limited. It is therefore important to counter this unavoidable fact by increasing the service-friendliness of the optical character generator; in that the illumination line of the character generator is constructed in modular fashion. Compared to the compact construction, the modular construction, however, frequently exhibits the disadvantage that every individual module must be separately secured to a module carrier with costly, mechanical outlay. Having a disadvantageous effect over and above this for the optical character generator is that the structure of the optical character generator has a critical influence on the nature and fashion of the fastening.